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Chichen Itza travel information.
The legendary Mayan city of Chichen
Itza, Patrimony of Humanity declared by UNESCO in 1988 and
Wonder of the World from 2007, is located to the East of Yucatan,
on the highway to Cancún, 120 kilometers from Merida.
The imposing legacy of the Itzaés goes beyond the Main Esplanade,
the Observatory, the Sacred Cenote, the Ball Game and the Temple
of the Thousand Columns.
This archaeological zone possesses the most imposing building
work of all: the Pyramid of Kukulkán, where twice per year,
during the summer and winter equinoxes, the 21 of March and the
22 of September respectively, a magical game of light and shade
creates the appearance of a serpent that gradually descends by
one of the stairs of the pyramid until it completes the
emblematic feathered serpent. The inverse takes place at dusk on
the days from 20 to 22 of December.
It has a tourist center with various services like a café,
infirmary, bookstore and an auditorium where audio-visual
material is exhibited on different cultural subjects of the
Mayan zone. You will also be able to find crafts made by
yucatecan hands and visit the museum.
The archaeological zone can be visited every day from 8:00 and
until 17:00 hours, and you can enjoy the light and sound show on
offer daily at 20:00 hours with simultaneous translation.
Shows
SOLAR EQUINOX
The Equinox, an astral-archeological phenomenon, is the time
when the earth is illuminated by the sun’s light in the same way
in both hemispheres , north and south. By the afternoon of 21st
of March and the 22th of September, which are the days of the
beginning of the equinox of spring and autumn respectively, it
is possible to see in the north staircase of the Chichen Itza
castle, a serpent like projection; that consists in seven
inverted triangles of light, as the result of the projection of
the nine platforms of this building, at dusk.
LUNAR EQUINOX
Another phenomenon that we can observe trough the walls of the
pyramid is the lunar equinox that occurs at the very late night
of full moon, in which the light effect of the inverted
triangles is repeated on the staircase of the Chichen Itza
castle. This simulates the descent of the feathered serpent god,
Kukulkan.
SOLSTICE
During the dawn of the days 20, 21 and 22th of June, the
solstice of summer takes place, this spectacular phenomenon
makes the light to flare the north and east faces of the pyramid,
while the south and west faces remain in the shadows. In winter,
the inverse effects takes occurs, that means, the lighten face
darkens and the dark flares with light, this also does not
happens at dawn, only by the afternoon from 20 to 22 of December.
LIGHT AND SOUND
Show that must be in your schedule of touring Yucatan, “the
night of the Mayas” is a narration of a part of the history of
the Mayas... Offered daily at 20:00 hours during summer and at
19:00 hours during winter.
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